The firm is pleased to present the Shook Falcon Cam Livestream, a YouTube page featuring Shook’s bonded nesting pair of peregrine falcons. The falcons are currently guarding and sitting on four eggs on top of the firm’s 24-story Kansas City building, with an expected hatch date toward the end of April or early May. Once the eggs hatch, viewers will be able to watch the parents feed the young and see the progress as the chicks, called eyasses, grow and learn to fly.
Events to Watch on Falcon Cam—Peregrine Falcon Timeline (can fluctuate):
- Eggs are laid in April; parents attend to eggs
- Chicks hatch in late April to early May
- Chicks banded 20 days after hatching (leg circumference growth stops after 20 days, ensuring bands do not harm legs)
- Chicks attempt flights in June
- Chicks fledge in July
Before Shook’s newly hired Technology Infrastructure Manager Christian Scott was shown his desk last spring, someone asked, “So will you get a camera on that thing?” The “thing” was a rooftop nest box. For years, it had been a dream of a group of Shook employees to have a livestream of the returning falcons raising their chicks, but the details of the challenge and then the pandemic created roadblocks. In less than a year, however, Scott and a team of Shook employees accomplished the task.Placing a camera on top of a skyscraper so that it provides a consistent feed to viewers and can withstand the fierce winds and other weather events at such an altitude was not easy. It involved Scott and others in Shook’s IT team, notably Solutions Architect Clayton O’Dell, and a supportive Shook team outside of IT, including Facilities Manager J.D. Schehrer. Chief Engineer Ryan Bigham of The RMR Group, who manages the building, performed the rooftop work, placing the camera on the nest box that sits on the north edge of the building facing downtown Kansas City. Bigham installed the camera and cables in the fall and winter, before the falcon’s arrival this spring. Maintaining a peaceful environment with as little disturbance as possible means careful management of building maintenance throughout the birds’ stay. This includes limiting human interactions. “They can get pretty territorial, said Bigham. “They won’t immediately attack, but they will warn you to back off.”
Webcam Identifies Female FalconThanks to the webcam and its close-up view of the birds—in particular, their leg bands—the female bird has been identified as “Endura,” an eight-year-old falcon hatched, banded and named in Omaha, Nebraska. The male falcon has yet to be identified, but his leg band numbers and photo are being shared with other breeding programs for a hopeful identification in the future.
Conservation
The nest box, the result of a partnership between Shook and the Missouri Department of Conservation, was first placed in 2016 and remained empty until 2018 when Endura and her mate chose to raise their first chicks there. To date, the pair have produced 22 chicks. Shook’s Falcon Cam has shown both to be devoted parents, taking turns sitting on this year’s eggs.
Once close to perishing from Missouri, peregrine falcons are aerodynamic raptors capable of diving at speeds of more than 200 miles per hour to catch their prey, which consists of other birds and small mammals. Keeping the population of non-native pigeons under control is considered one of the services peregrine falcons perform for urban communities.
Follow on SocialShook Marketing Department Designer Andrew Sutherlin worked with the IT team to provide the YouTube page for the livestream. In addition to YouTube, the Falcon Cam will be announced on the firm’s LinkedIn with occasional updates to follow on the firm’s Instagram page @shookhardybacon.
Shook Peregrine Falcon Nest Box FactsMissouri Department of Conservation
Who — Shook, Hardy, Bacon L.L.PWhere — 2555 Grand Blvd, KCMOWhen — Nest Box Placed in 2016 (First chicks = 2018)Nest Box Adult Tenants (Mating Pair)Mom: Color Band Black/Red 53/U from Omaha, Born 2016, Named Endura Dad: Color Band Black/Blue A/80 from unknown, age unknown, Name unknownNest Box Successful Bandings Total22 chicks bandedThe Why and How of BandingWhen we band peregrines falcons, we record the federal band number, the (color) auxiliary band number, the bird’s gender, the hatch date, the site name, the site coordinates, the bird bander, and other notes.
- Left Leg = receives a red band with one white character on the top of the band and a black band with one white character on the bottom of the band
- Right Leg = receives a silver band with an individual etched USFWS Number *USFWS (United States Fish & Wildlife Service)
Original source can be found here.